Sometime Around Midnight
by rae.drake26
Summary: One Shot: Two years have passed since Natsu left Lucy to go on an S-Class Mission. He'd run from her, and he's finally returned home. Will she take him back, or has she moved on? Inspired by the song, Sometime Around Midnight by The Airborne Toxic Event.


Hi Guys! So this short little one shot was inspired by a song I heard, and I just love. It's "Sometime Around Midnight" by The Airborne Toxic Event. Go listen to it. It's pretty awesome. I've only just recently gotten into Fairy Tail (I know, I know), and I just love it. Natsu will probably be a bit OC, but he is a bit older in this. I just sorta went with it, and this is what happened. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Also, this is kinda limey, and a few cuss words here and there, just so ya know.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or "Sometime Around Midnight".

Natsu rubbed a hand in his hair, and stood outside the guild in the night air. His feet didn't seem to want to move, and his heart was starting to speed up. It had been two years since he's been back. He knew she was inside. He could smell her. Hell, he could still taste her.

"Natsu," Happy murmured his name beside him.

"I know, Happy," He grumbled. His feet still didn't move. How could he even face her when he was nothing but a coward? He'd run from her. He'd taken the longest S-Class mission available, took Happy, and ran. He'd never even said goodbye.

Why? All because she had told him she loved him. He'd fought countless baddies, faced millions of monsters, hell, he'd even saved the world. But, when those luscious pink lips had whispered those three little words, he'd run like a scared child.

Natsu drifted back out of his thoughts as he heard Happy calling his name and flying to the large doors of the Guild. He knew Happy was rushing him, and he had a slight moment of weakness where he wanted to blast his friend out of the sky, pick him up, and scurry home. Maybe never step foot in the guild again.

But, he was Natsu Dragneel, and he was no coward…except that one time. So, he put foot in front of foot, and pushed open the doors.

Light, music, and laughter hit all his senses as Fairy Tail partied the night away. He couldn't help the huge grin that hit his face at seeing his beloved nakama. Sure, he was feeling pretty nervous about seeing Lucy again, but damn, it was good to be home!

"I'm back!" He hollered, and at once the guild turned, and rushed him. Erza being the first. She scooped him up, and held him close to her chest. "Hi, Erza," He breathed out, and squeezed out of her grasp.

She stared at him, and then glared at him, and suddenly it seemed like she was towering over him, "Never leave without a goodbye again."

His mouth went dry, and he simply nodded. Somehow on his mission he had forgotten how scary this woman was. She didn't even need to speak the threat.

"Flame brain," Gray said, as he siddled up to Erza.

"Where's your shirt, Ice Prick?" Natsu greeted.

"Fuck," Gray grumbled and went to look for the missing garment. Natsu just shook his head as he watched his old sparring partner stalk off looking for his shirt. He watched as Juvia handed it to Gray, and he flung his arm around her shoulders.

"A lot has changed," Erza told him, following his line of sight. He just shook his head, and walked into the sea of mages.

He was genuinely happy to back. He needed his family. The grin was plastered on his face, as he happily told stories of his adventure. Then, while talking with Gajeel, Levy and Wendy, a flash of blonde streaked across his vision. His heart jumped a mile, and it seemed as if his palms had become instantly sweaty. 'Fuck.' He thought. Gajeel shorted, and that brought Natsu back to the present.

Natsu shot the older Dragon Slayer a death glare, who wasn't fazed by it at all.

"She doesn't know you're here yet, Natsu. She just came in," Levy told him softly.

He shrugged his shoulders, and chugged down the Fire Brandy that was in his hand. Why he was so off his game, he didn't know. Surely two years was long enough for him to get his head on straight. But as he stared at her, he simply knew that wasn't true. He watched her from his table with Gajeel, Levy and Wendy. They were talking, and soon Gray, Juvia and Erza had joined the conversation. He just nodded his head, pretending to be listening. But, really, he was just watching Lucy.

He watched the way the short white dress flowed around her legs. He watched as she smiled and laughed with Mira and a few others at the bar. He watched her perfect pink lips smile, that perfect genuine smile, and remembered the feel of those lips on his skin. He could see her lying naked in his arms, skin against skin. He'd gotten lost in her, and she suddenly looked up. Their eyes locked for a moment, and she smiled at him. His world narrowed to just her, and he snatched the closest drink to him, which happened to be Gray's. He threw it back, not even acknowledging Gray's shout of anger.

He watched her walk to him, and she looked like a Goddess. "Get your shit together," He heard Gajeel growl to him.

Gajeel was right. He pulled all his courage up, and walked towards her. Her smile was constant, real, and bright. He couldn't help the smile that he gave in return. They met to the side of the reveling chaos, leaning against one of the pillars. Her smell hit him like a wave, and he let it run through him. He couldn't help the small sigh of contentment that escaped.

"Hi, Natsu," She said softly.

"Hi," was all he could muster back, putting his hand behind his head.

"How was your mission?" Lucy asked him, leaning forward to hear his answer.

She didn't appear mad about him leaving her, so he answered honestly, "It was good, but I missed you guys."

"We missed you too," She looked up at him through her eyelashes, brown eyes shining.

He wanted nothing more than to sweep her out of the guild, and ravish her, to let the dragon inside of him have his way, claim her again as his. But, he ignored it, "How have you been?"

"Good!" She exclaimed, "I've gotten a lot stronger, and Erza and Gray has been helping to teach me some hand to hand combat. I've finished my first novel, and started writing the sequel. I've sent it in to be published, so hopefully it won't be long now before it's actually in bookstores!"

He'd missed this, not only did he miss her as a lover, but he'd missed her as a friend. He gave in, and snatched her in for a hug, holding her tight against him, "I'm so happy for you, Lucy!" He whispered in her ear.

She was still for a moment, and he was about to pull away, cursing himself for being rash, when he felt her slender arms wrap around his neck. She clung to him for a moment, and then pulled back. "Thank you," She smiled up at him, "You know, I would have let you read it, but you hate reading, so…"

She was teasing him, and soon they fell into their old rhythm. Bantering, and poking fun at each other, but he could still feel the sexual tension between them. They sat down with the others, drinking and talking. He regaled them of stories of his mission, and they shared their own stories.

The guild was becoming quieter as people started to pass out, except for Cana who was challenging someone Natsu didn't know to some sort of card game/drinking game. He just laughed as he watched, and then he noticed Lucy getting up. His eyes never left her figure as she walked to the bar. Soon, he saw a man join her, and put his arm around her waste. His nostrils flared in anger, and he almost got up to beat the guy to a pulp. But he stayed seated, and reminded himself that he lost his privilege of being with her when he ran. Of course she would have moved on, but that didn't mean he liked it.

Erza noticed the tension in Natsu, and looked over at Lucy. "That's Ronin."

"Who is he?" Natsu asked, his voice hard.

"He's an Air Mage. Not real strong if you ask me, but reliable enough, I guess," Gray added in with a shrug, "He's done a few missions with us since he joined last year."

Natsu immediately felt the familiar hand of guilt descend upon him.

"Hey man, we ain't blaming you," Gray spoke up, noticing the look on his friends face. "You had to do what you had to do."

Natsu, looked up at Gray. Gray must have really missed him. Gray noticed, and added, "But you're still a stupid ass, flame brain."

For some reason that cheered Natsu up slightly, Until he saw Lucy leaving with Ronin. Her eyes found his again, and she watched him as she walked all the way out. It was like she wanted him to see her. She wasn't smiling as she walked out, just looking intently at him. And then she was gone.

He was still for a moment, and then stood, "I'm going home." He didn't wait for goodbyes, and stalked out of the Guild, Happy flying after him.

He flung open the door to his little cottage, and had a moment of shock at seeing it so clean. Someone had kept it up. That someone had been Lucy, he could smell her all over the place.

He growled in frustration and flung himself into his hammock, "Fuck."

The weeks passed, and he tried to settle into a routine back at the guild. He even went on a few missions with Erza and Gray, not that he needed the money, seeing as the S-Class missions had padded his account for quite a while. He just needed to feel apart of the team again. Before he left, the four of them were the best in Fairy Tail. He wanted that back.

As he walked to the guild, he was going to ask for the four of them to do a mission. He was hoping that things could go back to the way they used to be, before he and Lucy had had their fling. Sure, they weren't together long before he left her, but it was long enough to realize that he had loved her. And upon coming back, he found that he still loved her. Back then, he was too young and stupid to be able to admit it to himself, let alone Lucy.

He had grown not only in his power, but also as a man. He was no longer a stupid seventeen year old boy, who barely understood what sex was. He was a man now, who experienced love and loss, and countless dangers.

So, he squared his shoulders and walked into the guild. It was relatively quiet, and he waved at Mira. He spotted Gray, Erza and Juvia hunched together.

"Hey Guys!" He greeted them.

They quickly pulled apart, a slight blush creeping across Erza's cheeks. That wasn't good. When Erza blushed, it was never good. "What's going on?"

Gray looked away, "Nothing."

"Juvia is just sitting here," The water mage replied, and slid her arm around Gray's.

"Just chatting!" Erza said a bit too enthusiastically.

"Uh, huh," Natsu said, and decided to drop it. He could guess what it was about anyways. "So, let's do a mission, like old times!"

"Great idea!" Erza shouted. "I have just the perfect one. Mira posted it this morning. You should ask Lucy to come with us."

"Why haven't you?" Natsu asked.

"Haven't seen her yet, and I have to go pack." Erza bolted out of the guild.

"Juvia also has to pack. Let's go Gray-Sama," Juvia tugged Gray to his feet. Gray just gave Natsu a look, and followed the bluenette out.

"Yeah, because that isn't obvious," Natsu muttered, "I'm not as thick as I used to be."

He walked up to Mira, "Is Lucy around?"

Mira smiled at him, "I think she might be in the Library."

"Thanks," He waved to Mira and found his way into the Guild's Library. He pushed open the door, and saw Lucy sitting at the desk. He breathed in her scent, and closed his eyes for a moment. He had gotten more comfortable around her, but that didn't mean she still didn't affect him.

"Hey," He called softly to her.

She looked up, startled and clutching her heart, "Natsu! You scared me."

"You shouldn't have your nose so far in a book then," He teased her as he walked towards her.

She laughed a bit, "I can't help it!"

He leaned against the desk, and looked down at the mess of papers, pens and books she had scattered around her. Her blonde hair had gotten longer, and she had it tossed in a braid over her shoulder, so that it almost caressed the side of her breast.

"Watcha researching?" He asked, even though he honestly didn't care, this stuff had always bored him.

"Just this and that," She told him skeptically, looked up at him.

"This and that?" He pushed, leaning down a bit closer to her.

"Oh, you don't care about this stuff," She huffed at him, and then pushed back the chair, and stood. She grabbed one of the books and walked away from him. She put the book back, and pulled another off the shelf. "But if you must know, it's something for Levy. She's been working to translate an old spell for a client, and I'm helping."

She walked towards him, and stopped in front of him. She clutched the book like a crutch for a moment, and then set it down gently beside Natsu. Her fingers reached out, and lightly touched his shoulder. Their eyes never left each other, and then she pulled back, letting the hand fall. They stared at each for what seemed like hours, but it was surely just seconds. Suddenly her fingers where on his cheeks, and she was pulling his lips towards her.

Their lips met a moment later. She tasted just as sweet as he remembered. His hand found her waist, and he pulled her into him. Her hand traveled into his soft pink hair, and he groaned against her lips. He loved when she did that. His hand traveled to her back, and rested their. He needed this. He needed her. He was finally ready to admit his love to her, and to take her as his own. Dragons mated for life, and he planned to do just that.

Their kiss slowed, though the passion didn't. He moved his lips to her jaw, and then to her neck. He found her pulse, and it jumped against his lips and teeth as he nibbled along the vein. She fell even more against him, and he steadied them against the desk. He kissed his way back up her neck, and found her ear. He sucked for a moment on her lobe, and pulled back just enough to whisper in her ear, "I love you, Luce. I always have."

She stopped moving against him, and he heard her suck in her breathe. Then she breathed out and pulled back, "I know. I know you had to go."

He glanced away in embarrassment, why his cheeks felt hot, he wasn't sure. "I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Her fingers pulled his chin back to face her, "I was confused, and then mad at you at first, but," Her smile lit up the whole room, "I did understand after a while. You weren't ready, and I rushed you."

"But I ran. I was a coward and I ran. A warrior doesn't run," Ah, that was were the embarrassment was coming from. Deep down, at the heart of it all, of who he was, he was a warrior. Warriors weren't scared, but he had been. Scared of those three little words. Scared of the woman who was now holding his face in her finger tips. Scared of the commitment with her. Scared that she wouldn't accept him back.

"Sometimes, fear is a good thing, Natsu," She said quietly to him, "Fear teaches us, and grows us. Ultimately, if we can face our fears, we overcome and grow stronger."

His heart was pounding as he took in her words. Could he really grow stronger from his fear? As he stared into her incredibly brown eyes, he realized he could. He pulled her lips back to his in a rush of heat and need. Fingers roamed, trying to relearn skin that had been missed for two years. Bodies crushed together, almost as one.

She pulled back after a moment, her cheeks and lips rosy. Her breathe came in shallow gasps, and her fingers were still clutching his shoulders, "I have a boyfriend." She whispered to him.

The animal rose up inside him, and she could see the fire of passion and jealousy in his eyes. His hands dropped suddenly from her tiny waist, and he leaned further back from her. He knew it wasn't right for him to touch another man's woman, even if she was his first. He nodded his head, trying to calm himself, "Right." He said lamely.

"I don't love him Natsu," She dug her fingers into his shoulders to get her point across, "I'm still in love with you."

"But you have a boyfriend," he replied blankly.

"You're still as dense as ever," She rolled her eyes at him, and moved her fingers up to wrap around behind his neck, and into his pink hair, "I said I still love you."

What she was saying sunk in, as her fingers pulled his head back down to hers. Their lips met softly this time, slowly. His calloused hands ran up her bare arms, needing her skin. He spun her around, and leaned them against the large wooden desk that she had been working at. He gripped her waist, and sat her up on the desk. She moaned into his mouth, and wrapped her legs around his waist. Her dress had hiked up, and he was running his hands along her bare thighs. He had a moment's thought that told him to stop, that taking Lucy on this desk, in the guild, was not the way to make a good impression on her. But, he ignored it. Two years of pent up frustration, and anger, and fear had just been put aside, with those words that Lucy spoke.

He growled into her lips, as one of her hands found its way beneath his vest, dragging her nails across the hard muscle. He wanted her like he had never wanted anything in his life. Leaving her had taught him just how important she was. It wasn't just her body, or her beauty. He wanted her brain, her laugh, her smile, her smell. He cherished all that she was, even if he didn't understand half of her.

His fingers dug into her ass, and pulled her tighter to him, grinding his hips into her. He relished the quiet mewling sound she made, and the way her head fell back. She moaned his name like a quiet prayer. He felt like he might burst, like fire might explode from his fingers. He felt alive, and powerful for the first time in two years. He felt like he was stepping off a victorious battle field. He felt good!

And, then the heavy Library doors opened. He almost shot a fireball at whoever dared to interrupt them. He glanced down at Lucy, and her eyes were glazed over in lust. He stepped in front of Lucy, and whoever was standing at the door.

"I heard you were in here, Lucy," A male voice spoke, one Natsu didn't recognize. But a moment later, he realized it was Ronin.

"This is awkward," He heard Lucy mumble. He felt her move down from the desk, and straighten her dress.

Natsu's battle instinct rose as Ronin took a step forward, and the Dragon Slayer could see the rage in the other man's eyes. Not that Natsu could blame the guy, and he had the decency to feel a bit bad about it. Though, not enough to give Lucy up.

"Look, Ronin, we should talk," Lucy stepped around Natsu.

"Yeah, we should," Ronin replied, his voice laced with anger.

Natsu just stood there, looking between the two. He had never been in this situation, seeing as Lucy was the only girl had ever been remotely interested in. He had the fierce urge to blast the other man in the face, and he took a moment to fantasize about it. But, he didn't because he knew it would make Lucy angry. So, he just watched, and felt a bit awkward.

"I heard you were in here doing work for Levy, and I come to help. Instead I find you with your skirt hiked up, almost fucking this guy!" Ronin yelled, stepping closer to Lucy.

Natsu stepped forward, his battle senses on high alert, all awkwardness gone from his body. Lucy put a hand on his chest, and looked at him. Her eyes told him to back down. He stepped back, but that didn't mean that he wasn't ready to protect her if need be.

"I'm sorry Ronin. It just sort of happened. But, I love him, and I have for a long time. I tried to move on from him when he left, but I couldn't. Instead, I just ended up hurting you. You're a good man Ronin, and you deserve a woman who can love you back. I'm sorry that I'm not her, and I'm sorry you had to see that." Natsu admired her in that moment. She had just dealt the man's heart a blow, but somehow she did it with such grace.

"I'm sorry I had to see it too," Ronin ground out. Natsu could still see the anger, but his battle instincts had backed down. "She obviously loves you, and not me. I know when I've lost a battle."

Natsu nodded, slightly dumbfounded that the man had given up so easily.

"I know she never loved me," Ronin stated, and then walked out. They pair was silent for a few moments.

"So, I guess I'm single again," Lucy drawled out.

"I don't think so," Natsu told her firmly.

"No one has asked me out, so that means I'm single," She told him, her hands on her hips.

"You won't be single again, if I have anything to do about it." He told her, eyes narrowing.

"Is that a challenge, Natsu?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"No, it's the truth. You're mine, Luce, and I ain't letting go this time." He told her, stalking to her, and pulling her against him.

"Good," She breathed, and then kissed him.


End file.
